Wednesday, December 23, 2009

(Thanks to reader Mochi Park for the request.)Mixed modes of transport must inevitably interface with one another, and each transfer point represents an opportunity to welcome arriving visitors with information, street food, souvenir shops, juggling mimes, and other goodies to boost the health of local business. This train station in downtown LA hasn't seen those opportunities yet. Instead of creating a vibrant train station culture, it opts for the "out of the frying pan, into the fire" approach: passengers disembark directly onto three lanes of traffic moving up to 45mph, with not a single amenity in sight. This is non-design at its worst--not ill-conceived, but non-conceived, creating a street that is not only seriously unsafe but also seriously boring. You can do better, downtown LA! See it narrowed!Diptych prints available

explore the map

reader request: flower street + pico boulevard, downtown

(Thanks to reader Mochi Park for the request.)Mixed modes of transport must inevitably interface with one another, and each transfer point represents an opportunity to welcome arriving visitors with information, street food, souvenir shops, juggling mimes, and other goodies to boost the health of local business. This train station in downtown LA hasn't seen those opportunities yet. Instead of creating a vibrant train station culture, it opts for the "out of the frying pan, into the fire" approach: passengers disembark directly onto three lanes of traffic moving up to 45mph, with not a single amenity in sight. This is non-design at its worst--not ill-conceived, but non-conceived, creating a street that is not only seriously unsafe but also seriously boring. You can do better, downtown LA! See it narrowed!Diptych prints available